Table of Contents
Sharjah: A new agricultural technology centre in Sharjah will allow farmers and technology companies to test AI, vertical farming, hydroponics and other smart-farming solutions under real operating conditions before they are deployed commercially.
Tathmeer Agri Tech, a UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)-approved and Sharia-compliant AgriTech crowdfunding platform, has partnered with Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK) to establish what it describes as MENA’s first Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre.
The centre will be built on a dedicated plot within SPARK and is intended to provide a testing and demonstration environment for technologies designed to improve agricultural productivity while reducing the use of water and other resources.
It will bring together controlled-environment agriculture, hydroponics, vertical farming, automation, Internet of Things (IoT) systems and artificial intelligence-powered monitoring.
Farmer training
The facility will also support applied research and development, farmer training, technology selection, start-up development and links between producers, technology providers, investors and markets.
The initiative comes as the UAE seeks to strengthen domestic food production while addressing challenges such as water scarcity, limited arable land and harsh climatic conditions.
From testing to market
A central part of the centre will be Tathmeer’s FarmBridge digital platform, which is designed to connect farmers with technology companies, investors, government entities, entrepreneurs, supply-chain operators and food and beverage businesses.
The model is aimed at helping farmers answer three key commercial questions: what to grow, how to grow it and where to sell it.
Technologies can first be tested under practical conditions, allowing farmers and investors to assess their performance and commercial potential before committing significant capital.
Layth Dwairi, CEO and co-founder of Tathmeer Agri Tech, said the centre would address a gap faced by growers seeking to adopt new technologies. “Growers across this region are short of a way to test technology before committing capital to it. That is what this centre changes,” Dwairi said.
“Working with SPARK, we can put controlled-environment systems, vertical farming and AI-enabled monitoring in front of farmers under real operating conditions, then connect what proves itself to financing through our SCA-approved platform and to buyers through FarmBridge,” he added.
He said the partnership with Elevate Farms would bring internationally proven vertical farming technology into the centre. “Success is reflected in farms being able to produce more with less water, and a clear route to market,” Dwairi said.
Technology partnership
Tathmeer has also partnered with Elevate Farms, a vertical farming technology company with operations and a presence in Canada, the United States and Switzerland.
The partnership is expected to give the centre access to advanced vertical farming technologies for demonstration and validation, with the potential for their deployment in the UAE and wider region.
Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of SPARK, said the project would combine technology, applied research, physical infrastructure and market access.
“SPARK’s mandate is to transform research, technology and innovation into practical economic value,” Al Mahmoudi said.
Food security
He said the collaboration reflected the type of investment SPARK sought to attract to Sharjah, particularly companies working on strategic priorities including food security, sustainability and economic diversification.
“By providing land, ecosystem access and facilitation, SPARK will support Tathmeer in developing an Agri-Tech centre that can demonstrate solutions, connect with government and industry, and help accelerate sustainable agriculture innovation,” he said.
Training and testing
Beyond technology demonstrations, the centre is expected to offer certification, field-learning and skills-development programmes for farmers, agronomists, entrepreneurs and technology adopters.
It will also function as a test bed for start-ups and technology providers seeking to demonstrate their products, validate performance and assess commercial viability.
Tathmeer is expected to participate in the Agriculture Innovation Zone at Sharjah Next – Sustainability, where technology demonstrations and workshops could form part of the wider innovation programme.
The centre is expected to support the UAE’s broader priorities in food security, sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship and innovation while strengthening Sharjah’s role as a hub for testing and commercialising emerging technologies.
The official signing and announcement are planned for September 2026, with SPARK and Tathmeer expected to coordinate media and stakeholder engagement.
